Second part in a series previewing Texas Tech spring football practice, which is scheduled to begin Feb. 17.

Neal Brown has nothing against veterans, but the Texas Tech offensive coordinator will be surprised if one or more newcomers aren’t among the Red Raiders’ leading receivers next season. That’s how much he thinks of Tyson Williams, Javares McRoy and Javon Bell.

“With Javares, Tyson and Javon, our receiver corps should be the strength of our team,” Brown said flatly.

Keep in mind, Eric Ward is coming off an 84-catch, 11-touchdown season, Alex Torres has been productive when healthy and Darrin Moore was looking like a go-to guy before late September injuries derailed his 2011 campaign.

The Red Raiders wouldn’t be starting from scratch if they had nothing but the returnees. But they believe the newcomers can make the passing attack better than last season, when Tech ranked seventh nationally in passing offense.

McRoy is a redshirt freshman who signed with Florida last February, changed his mind and transferred to Tech. Williams transferred to Tech in January 2011 right after a season in which he caught 96 passes for 1,321 yards and eight touchdowns for West Texas A&M, earning third-team all-America recognition in Division II. Bell caught 111 passes for 2,252 yards and 27 touchdowns the last two years in junior college.

When the Red Raiders start spring practice next week, returnees will comprise two of the team’s four receiver positions. Ward, who capped his breakout season with a school-record-setting 16 catches in the season finale against Baylor, will try to take his game to an all-Big 12 level. He has Marcus Kennard and Derek Edwards behind him at split end.

The “Y” inside receiver features Jace Amaro, Austin Zouzalik and Aaron Fisher. The knee sprain Fisher suffered late in the season did not require surgery and he’ll practice this spring.

The new faces will try to make their impact at the other two spots. The 6-foot, 184-pound Bell, a mid-term signee from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, is on the depth chart behind Moore at flanker. That could be an interesting battle considering Moore posted two 100-yard games before injuries ruined his 2011 season and Bell was first- and second-team NJCAA all-America the last two years.

“We want Javon to push for that starting spot,” Brown said. “We thought he was the best junior college receiver last year, a kid we recruited for about a year and a half. He averaged 26 yards per catch in a fast JC league. I fully expect him to compete for immediate playing time. He’ll push Darrin Moore.”

Tech’s “H” inside receiver is wide open. Tramain Swindall, who started 19 games there from 2009 to 2010, finished his eligibility, and last year’s starters, Cornelius Douglas and Bradley Marquez, have changed positions. So Williams, McRoy and redshirt freshman Jakeem Grant will make their best case.

Williams’ brother, Spring Dekaney running back Trey Williams, signed last week with Texas A&M after being one of the most highly recruited players in the nation.

Tyson Williams has been getting attention of his own. Even while redshirting, Brown said, Williams was the most asked-about player on the Tech team last year by NFL scouts.

“He was very productive at WT, and he gives us a confidence at that position, a little bit of bravado,” Brown said. “He’s a talented kid and he’s hungry to show he can compete and produce at the highest level. ... He’s a tough, physical guy.”

The Red Raiders could throw different style “H” receivers at defenses with the 5-11, 218-pound Williams joined by mighty mites McRoy (5-7, 159) and Jakeem Grant (5-6, 160).

Former Tech receivers coach Lincoln Riley once said McRoy reminded him of former Ole Miss star Dexter McCluster, a similar-sized player who wreaked havoc at both running back and receiver.

Brown agreed with the comparison, saying Tech thought two years ago Javares McRoy was the best slot-receiver recruit in the nation. He asked for his release from Florida to join his brother, kick-return specialist Ben McRoy, at Tech.

“Javares has great straight-line speed,” Brown said, “but his best attribute is his ability to make people miss in open space. He’s a dynamic guy, probably unlike any inside receiver we’ve had since I’ve been here.

“He’ll stick his foot in the ground, make the first defender miss and he’s really versatile in that he can play receiver and also go in the backfield.”

Tech will try to make the most of that versatility, training Javares McRoy at both receiver and running back.

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Offense is just a lot more fun to think about while we still have some of that awful talent remaining and fumes of the originally successful schemes. OL may be an issue for run or pass, stuck in ineffective purgatory of transition. Just don't think new regime is committed to the offense that worked so well.

As Spike said when he spoke from time to time, commitment is as simple to understand as eggs and bacon for breakfast, the chicken is involved and the pig is committed. As I watched the coaches in particular thus far, it seemed like there was very little bacon from which to choose. And now with the Admin position on accepting an A&M challenge to play us in football, whatever the excuse for not doing so, it would seem we have our---squawk---answer.

The receivers look fantastic for next yr especially with the experience they bring. We only graduated one receiver so everybody is back and we have potential starters coming in!!! With another yr under our belt we are ready to make a major mark in 2012 and get to a top level bowl as in Cotton Bowl or Alamo. That would take nine, ten for Cotton and at least 8 for Alamo. I think we will do that. With just 7 more pts in each game against both atm and KSU we woulda been 7-5 and bowling instead of 5-7 and gettin to go to grandma's for Christmas. As bad as it got at times we were that close - 7 pts in each of those two games!

And scheduling atm - I wouldnt and I dont think anybody with class in the BIG 12 will schedule them for 4 or 5 yrs. Why allow them any recruiting leverage in Texas whatsoever. Let em go play somewhere where they are wanted - certainly not here anytime soon. The [filtered word] left tradition and rivalries for more money. Oh, well, wait! They used to like to say were were not a rival of theirs anyway. So why play em ???

when tech wanted to move the ball and went to the passing game, they did so with ease. tech lived by the pass for over a decade! when tubby makes the splits narrow and tries to smash mouth, we falter. this article was written without historical context or reference. what a joke.

This is the strength of the team. We have some sub 4.4 (40) & some big & tall WRs. I'm predicting we have a Top 5 offense in the nation next season. We got too many weapons & OL coach Chris Thomsen helping OC Brown install some new wrinkles in to exploit the talent we have. Lookout BIG 12. Guns Up!

1. Why would there be an historical context in the article? It is about the WR for 2012.

2. We are working on a Jerry World venue with Arkansas for 2013. No one in the Big 12 will be playing ATM anytime soon.

3. We threw the ball 63% of the time this year. We had 601 passing attempts which is about 50 attempts lower than 2008 or 2009. or 5 per game. We averaged over 50 passes per game and we have loaded up at the receiver position I do not think we will change much. Coach Tuberville has always said from day 1 he wanted to be between 60-65% pass to run.

Awesome talent, I think this group will remind some of the team leach people of Glover, Francis, and Hicks. Team Leach will be pleasantly surprised this year with the offense. We will have play-makers that we have not seen since 08 with Crabs.

First off it wasn't Spike who made the breakfast comment it was Leach. So if you're gonna come on here and be a negative Nancy about everything atleast be right.

I don't understand how anyone with any knowledge at all of the weapons we have at WR, could consider the group anything but lethal. I know they have to prove themselves, but on paper; I'm not so sure this isn't one of the best if not the best cores at WR the program has ever had.

We are loaded in the receivers positions with lots of talent. Yes we threw the ball, when Tech went to throwing the ball down the field vertically,they moved the ball, when whoever, decided to run the ball to slow down the game, the offense looked confused, out of synch, had delays of the game, and generally stallled. Let NEAL BROWN DO HIS JOB.!!!! Hopefully, the defense will be improved so we can have time on offense to do what this team is capable of, eliminate the STUPID MISTAKES, BLOCKED FIELD GOALS, RUNNING THE BALL FOR NO YARDAGE OVER AND OVER.!!! Im looking forward to this season to see how this team can come back from the disastrous year we had last year. Lets see som e EMOTION from the coachs and leadership this year, pride and Heart... One thing is for sure one distraction has graduated, that should help also. Guns up.!!!!!!

The Big 12 defenses have caught up with the spread offense and that is why so many programs who dabbled with the spread are now trying to return to more of a running game. Leach offense was fun and great, but he refused to run more and many times we couldnt get a 1st when it was 3rd and 2 or 3rd and 3. Ya know? Many of us tried in vain to get him to run more. If Tech had rushed for 170 yards a game instead of his 120 yards a game we would maybe have had a conference champ or two. Look at Stoops after Leach left. Look at Sonny Dykes at La Tech and especially Dana Holgerson at UH, Okie State, and now WVU. They all added more of a running element to their offense while maintaining huge passing offense numbers and not to mention rolling up win after win.

This is what coach Tubs and Neal Brown are trying to achieve at Tech!! Mac Brown trying same at UT with new OC, but doesnt have the right players yet to be really effective - YET! Fact: there has never been an NCAA natl champ that was not at least in the top 20 of NCAA rushing stats. To be in the top 20 a team usually has to have around 180 yards a game. That may mean another 10-12 rushing plays than what Leach did. That is what Neal and Tommy are doing - same as Holgerson!!! Get the rush blocking down and injuries down and we will see some goooooooood times coming. Tommy still runs normally about as many pass plays percentage wise than Leach. It is football and still whoever blocks and tackles the best usually wins. GUNS UP RAIDERS !!!

Speed Speed Speed & Speed! *Kenny Williams should b our starter at RB. Brad Marquez & Ronnie Daniels should b the subs. If OC Neal can put this all together we will be looking for a new OC because he will be an HC somewhere after next year.

Hey lodotxA&M, if you haven't noticed the offensive coordinator from over 2 years ago (Mike Leach) is gone and guess what...he took his playbook with him on that little sheet of paper. Why dont you go ahead and take off to vegas on your moped and put some $$$ where your big mouth is since you think you know it all. Dude you make about ZERO sense. Most people deal with facts...you deal with fiction. Aggie chose to leave the big 12 and trust me aggie doesn't care about you or texas tech...remember you are "classless" yes they are talking to you lodotxA&M and your 2% followers. Feel free to take off your solid white cheerleading aggie jumpsuit. You dont like one thing about texas tech on here or in sports.....why are you a fan of tech? You think you are some type of judge over every article or every administrator....dude, this isn't the gong show. Noone cares about you or your negative thoughts. Like aggie says you are a 2% fan. 98% are good fans and root for their team. You are just out there whining and complaining about everything...realignment, coaches, players, administrators, writers, articles, hance....on and on and on. You say "as you watch those coaches so far"....lol are you some type of scout? Dream on lodotxA&M....I'm sure your resume is pepperred with all kinds of coaching experience, national championships, etc....sure.... if you cant tell nobody agrees with you...well maybe your 2% (yes it includes you factsrfacts & feaco and red)

How can you say that when almost every team ran a spread and all but Kansas and K State ate up chuncks of yardage and scored tons of points. If anything the Big 12 is NOT known for its defense. What have you been smokin.

I see you working feaco. Yes i did see 1 positive post from you the other day but one post does not create a habit. We would love to take you out of the aggie 2% club. Hey trust me its harder on me than you to read your negative smack because i understand how bad people dislike what you 3 stooges try and say on here (plus red occasionally). I know your little boy lodotxA&M is gripping because pretty much noone (except 2%) agree with his negative know it all little attitude. Hey hide and watch factsrfacts will be in soon to chime in with his negative nonsense.

You watch this year when tech wins 7-8 games these morons will be saying "if leach were here we would have won 10 games or the big 12" lol yeah right and if my aunt had a package she would be my uncle.

feaco accuses you of running people down and belittling and then he goes on to call you immature and an idiot. I guess name calling doesn't fall into that category. You really need to cut feaco a break. He has nothing better to do than sit by the mail box waiting on his social security check to arrive.

You and Bill are really a great pair. My social security check gets direct deposited so I have plenty of time to do other things. You two go on and have fun. We will see how Tech does next year and you may be right, but I doubt it with Hance running the show and keeping Tuber as coach. Fortunately, Perry will probably not be governor more than three years so we mighj
t get a real BOR who will replace reverend chancellor kent (failed republican lobbyist and politician) hance. See you at the games next year. Since you are in Nashville maybe you can go visit Alberto (I can't remember) Gonzales over in Memphis.

I think what you meant to say was defense nation wide have caught up, specifically in the SEC. The Big 12 has not won a cotton bowl since 2002 against an SEC opponent ,as well we have lost 3 national title games.

SEC has proved that defense, speed, and ball control trumps spread offense's. The Big 12 has not figured out how to play defense yet other than Texas. But UT can not find a QB, so the defense is in vain.

Everybody seems to think that we are loaded at receiver positions, and that we will make a big splash this coming season. We have all the talent to go to the Cotton Bowl or some other big bowl. I hope you are all right. But, heaven forbid, if things don't turn out alot better, what are you going to blame it on? Is it just bad luck, bad timing, or bad coaching? Let's wait and see what happens and then let the chips fall where they may. At some point the blame will have to stop with somebody and I think we all know where it is. The season rests in the hands of the head coach. If he doesn't produce now, he needs to head out of town.

Yes right sj. Tech needs to take them to the cotton bowl just like leach did... Unfortunately that was the beat leach could do in 10 years and he didn't even win it. So let me get this straight ...tubberville has to do better in his 3rd year than leach did in 10 or you say he's fired? Are you an aggie? It's not like tech has some rich history of winning & championships. Maybe you need to get real